Siaka was a peasant farmer who was just managing to feed his family. He couldn't go to school beyond the primary school level, not because he wasn't intelligent but, his father didn't have the financial strength to see him through a higher education.
Siaka himself had a son, Banda whom he trained up to the secondary school level but, he was sure he couldn't see him through the tertiary education. And, this had been a major concern to him. He had wished he could take Banda through the university so as to raise the status of his family.
Many nights he would lie down in his bed thinking of how to overcome this challenge, with open eyes. He knew his father tried in his own way but, primary school wasn't enough for him. He also knew his own effort wasn't bad based on the resources available to him. Banda was going to graduate soon from the secondary school but, his chance of going to the tertiary institution was so slim that it could be said to be impossible.
But luck came his way one day. It opened the chance to change the fortune of his family.
A dam was to be repaired and its water was to be redirected through a path that included one of the farmlands of Siaka. In that bid, government was to compensate all those whose farmlands were affected.
The government didn't waste time in paying all the farmers, and Siaka got a sizable chunk of the money running into thousands. He had never come across such an amount of money in his life. Occasionally he would go and look at the figures to reassure himself that the amount corresponded with the amount he had in mind.
What to do with the money became a challenge. One of the options was to invest in real estate. After weighing that for a while, he thought of Banda's education. He must choose one option because the money would not handle the two at the same time.
He knew he must conclude on his choice quickly because one or two family problems could rear their heads from nowhere and eat deep into the money if he delayed for a long time. To worsen the matter, his retirement age was steering him in the face. In a matter of few years, he would go on retirement because he was not getting younger, and his farm work needed strength.
"If I invest in real estate, I know I'll be getting some income that would see me through. But, what of if the investment goes awry, what would I tell my God", he asked himself.
"On the other hand, if I open an education trust account with the bank for Banda, that would guarantee the financial requirements for his education and, I would have broken the jinks of my family members not attaining a university education. Besides, Banda with a good education would be in a better position to take care of the family", he thought.
Finally he made his choice. He opened an education trust account with the lump sum for Banda. This made Banda to go through his university education without any financial difficulty.
Some years later, Banda came out of the university to the joy of all. He worked for a few years and got married to Stella, equally a university graduate. Stella went straight into business from school. She made a success of it.
But what surprised everyone was that Banda showed no concern for Siaka, his father. Banda's behaviour was a misery to everyone who started wondering what came over him. What made him not to have an interest in his father's welfare could not be explained by anyone. This was a father that risked everything to ensure he had a good education.
However, succour came through Stella who was very fond of Siaka. As Banda showed no interest in his father to take care of the aging man, Stella filled the gap by ensuring that Siaka lacked nothing. Not only did she build a modest home for Siaka, she provided him all the material things he needed to live a comfortable life.
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